War in Snapshots
by patientalien
Summary: A series of four ficlets written for a fic challenge.
1. Into the Fray

**Title:** into the fray  
**Author:** **patientalien**  
**Challenge:** SWMININANO  
**Prompt:** Anakin Skywalker  
**Word Count:** 300  
**Characters:** Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker (mentioned)  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** Ahsoka is almost more like her master than she realizes (but not quite)

"Ahsoka, wait on the ship," he had said, almost flippant.

It's as if he doesn't trust her. He does, she knows (hopes) he does, but he's so kriffing stubborn. Like she's a kid. A youngling. Like she's hasn't proven herself a thousand times over. Like he just wants to leave her behind.

Ahsoka glares at his retreating form, scowling deeply, resisting the almost overwhelming temptation to follow him and damn the consequences - it's what he'd do, after all, and she is nothing if not a good student.

She doesn't think he realizes what he's teaching her. Most of the time, she doesn't notice herself, unless someone points it out to her. Someone like Luminara, whose mild-mannered Padawan probably never gets into the kind of trouble Ahsoka finds herself in (because Luminara would never Force choke someone to get a confession from them, would never open a holocron for a bounty hunter to save Barriss, would never threaten and whine and throw tantrums when she feels the slightest bit out of control).

The war has forged them both, Ahsoka knows, but she knows that come peace time, she will survive, adapt, flourish in whatever way she needs to in order to continue as a Jedi. She wonders, watching him run into battle, if he will ever be able to say the same.

She doesn't think so, and the realization makes her turn away, tears in her eyes. Sometimes the knowledge of how fleeting stability and comfort is weighs her down and she can't face him. He is fickle and selfish and the most selfless man she's ever known. The contradictions are maddening, and she can't imagine serving anyone else.

Even if she doesn't want to wait on the kriffing ship. She takes a breath, and follows him into the fray.


	2. Failure to Act

**Title:** failure to act  
**Author:** **patientalien**  
**Challenge:** SWMININANO  
**Prompt:** Persevere  
**Word Count:** 200  
**Characters:** Anakin  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** Anakin never fails

Failure has never been an option. Even as a small boy, failure rankled him, put him on edge, made him angry (but Jedi don't get angry). He promised to do better, to try harder. To overcome, to persevere.

He would come out on top. And now that he was a Knight, now that he had such power at his command, failure was even less of an option. He didn't have the excuse of being a scared little boy, untrained and unaware. He was a man, powerful, willful, right. Nothing he did could be called into question, because he always succeeded, he always won.

Every battle was a success, every fight measured not in how closely he won, but how badly the other lost. Though not the Jedi way to show pride, he made sure to let those around him, those who mattered, know that this time - this time he didn't fail. He would not make the same mistakes, would not allow others to die because he failed to act.

Every battle ended the same. He had won, and would continue to win, until the war was over. Even, he thought darkly, and only when alone, if it killed him.


	3. Unforgiving Stars

**Title:** unforgiving stars  
**Author:** **patientalien**  
**Challenge:** SWMININANO  
**Prompt:** lonesome  
**Word Count:** 150  
**Characters:** Anakin  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** It's lonely to be surrounded by people

Anakin loved to fly, but he hated space. It was too cold, the deadly vacuum kept at bay by by duristell walls still somehow managing to sneak in, to wrap around him, suffocating and chilling.

Standing on the bridge of the Resolute, he was surrounded by other beings - clones, officers, Admiral Yularen, Ahsoka. Warm, living beings, all of whom he would gladly lay down his life for. He felt them in the Force, a humming, constant presence.

That humming had been with him all his life, but it was hardly the comfort those he'd told about it assumed it was. Sometimes it was maddening. Sometimes being able to sense so many others so acutely made him feel painfully isolated. It hurt, being able to feel so strongly.

Sometimes, he wanted to scream. But he didn't. Instead, he closed himself off and stared out the viewport at the unforgiving stars.


	4. Frustrations

**Title:** Frustrations  
**Author:** **patientalien**  
**Challenge:** SWMININANO  
**Prompt:** Senate  
**Word Count:** 305  
**Characters:** Anakin, Padme  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** Sometimes politics are not welcome

"Nobody is questioning you," Padme informed him. "You came up in the session today because this is the third time we've had to vote to increase the budget."

Anakin scowled and strode across the room towards the veranda. "I'd like to see any of them try to win a war without damaging equipment," he grumbled at her.

"And nobody was saying it was possible," she replied, holding up her hands placatingly. "It's just... you go through a lot of ships, Ani. They cost a lot of money, and, well..."

He ran a hand through his hair, let out a sharp breath, "And they're worried they won't get theirs, is that it?" Times like this he hated the Senate - hated them with a blinding fury that left him tight-chested and breathless.

"No, it's..." Padme cut herself off, obviously frustrated. "Nevermind, forget I said anything." She wanted to just let it go - it wasn't easy for her, he knew, just as it wasn't easy for him, but when they were together so infrequently, there wasn't time for fighting with each other.

But still. "They don't know what it's like," he said, not facing her. He meant you don't know what it's like, but he would never say it out loud.

"Tell me," Padme said, putting a hand on his arm.

He stiffened, turned away from her. This was the one place he didn't have to think about the war, the one place he could forget about the stench of death and the overwhelming terror he lived with. "No," he said. "Let the Senate do the fighting today. Let's just..." He trailed off, twined his fingers in hers, and led her to the veranda to watch the sun set. It didn't fix anything, but at least the world in his head was quiet, for a while.


End file.
